Filmworld
'Biopic on braveheart Neerja Bhanot well researched'
By
By Jaideep Sarin
Chandigarh, May 13
She was just 22 when she
sacrificed her life to save a group of American children aboard a Pan Am
flight that had been hijacked on the ground at Karachi. Now, the family
of Chandigarh girl Neerja Bhanot, the seniormost cabin crew member on
the flight and who is being immortalised in a biopic featuring Bollywood
actress Sonam Kapoor, says the production is well researched.
The
shooting of the film, which began recently in Mumbai, has got both
Sonam Kapoor and Neerja's family in Chandigarh quite excited.
"We
are excited by the film on Neerja. The producers have done a lot of
research about the project. They got in touch with us about two years
back," Neerja's brother Aneesh Bhanot, told IANS here, adding that the
film would be titled "Neerja Bhanot". It will be helmed by Ram Madhwani,
who is credited with a number of award-winning commercials.
Neerja
will be the second person from Chandigarh to be featured in a biopic
after the legendary athlete Milkha Singh. The film, "Bhag Milkha Bhag",
directed by Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra and with actor Farhan Akhtar in the
lead, was a top grosser in 2013.
"Hello everyone! This is me as
Neerja! In our tribute to Neerja Bhanot. This is my most special film.
thank you," Sonam wrote on her Twitter handle. She even posted pictures
of herself and a refurbished Boeing 747 jumbo jet that will be used to
recreate flight PA-73
"Sonam came to Chandigarh last year and had
dinner with our family. Atul (leading fashion photographer Atul
Kasbekar who is producing the film) is also quite excited to bring out
Neerja's story. The whole team has done a meticulous job," Aneesh said,
adding that no one from the family had so far attended the film's
shooting.
"We are absolutely confident that the producers will do
a very good job. The whole family is very satisfied with the script and
the way Neerja's life is being shown. I suppose my mother's role is
being played by Shabana Azmi," Aneesh said.
Madhvani told IANS: "Neerja is an emotional journey for all of us".
Produced by Fox Star Studios and Bling Unplugged, the story and screenplay have been written by Saiwyn Quadras.
Though
not many among youth would know about Neerja's act of bravery and
ultimate sacrifice, they are looking forward to the film.
"It is
interesting that two people from Chandigarh have become part of
Bollywood biopics. The lives of both of them are inspirational," film
enthusiast Ritika Sharma told IANS.
Neerja, the chief flight
purser of Pan Am 73 (Bombay-Karachi-Frankfurt-New York) flight, was
killed in the shootout following the hijack at Karachi International
Airport on September 5, 1986. The Libyan terrorists had entered the
aircraft posing as Pakistani police personnel, carrying arms and hand
grenades.
The hijack, which lasted some 17 hours, had left 20
people dead and 150 others injured. There were around 200 Indian
passengers on the flight, of whom 13 died while over 100 were injured.
Following
her act of bravery, Neerja was posthumously conferred the Ashoka
Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award, in 1987, the youngest
and first woman recipient of the medal.
(Jaideep Sarin can be contated at [email protected])